Milestones
by Stellar Eclipse
Summary: It had been exactly one year since Riku's arrival; one year since Cloud had first laid eyes on him, and in that moment decided he was spoiled for anyone else, ever.


_Written for the lovexwinter community on LiveJournal. Happy CloudRiku Day, people!_

_Disclaimer: dood, _fan_fiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act._

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It had been one year.

One year since Riku had moved to Radiant Garden. Destiny Islands would always be his home, but after finishing high school, he'd found himself yearning for something more than the islands had to offer. His bond with Sora and Kairi was stronger than ever, and it _had_ been hard for him to leave them, but he'd placated them (and himself) with an earnest promise that he'd visit as often as they wanted, and anyways, he'd only ever be as far as their hearts.

It had been exactly one year since Riku's arrival. One year since Cloud had first laid eyes on him, and in that moment decided he was spoiled for anyone else, ever.

But he only ever watched him from afar.

_Always been the shy one..._

It had been exactly one year plus one day since Riku's arrival that Aerith gave Cloud a gentle push in the right direction, and well...it really wasn't _her_ fault that that direction happened to place him quite literally in the passing teen's path.

_So very innocent, that girl._

They knocked heads as a result, and both brought up narrow-eyed glares until they realized exactly who it was they were glaring at. Cloud immediately backed up a pace, looking rather flustered, and Riku did the same, rubbing his forehead through long silver bangs. Both mumbled quick apologies, and Cloud shot a tight-lipped glance behind him at Aerith. The young woman was gone.

By the time he looked back, so was Riku.

_Figures._

* * *

It had been exactly one year since Cloud and Riku had officially met.

Much to Aerith's delight, her little nudge had had the intended effect and spurred an odd kind of relationship between the former keyblade master and the former SOLDIER. It wasn't quite friendship, but wasn't quite... well, neither of them was really sure _what_ to consider the other. Though there was very little physical contact between them, there did seem to be a strong mutual attachment, and neither seemed interested in pursuing anything (or anyone) beyond the incidental companionship the other provided.

Per their somewhat established routine, they had sort of accidentally (but not really) run into each other late in the evening in the quiet solitude of the Crystal Fissure. Aquamarine eyes lifted from the ground to peer through silvery bangs, meeting Cloud's mako-blue gaze in their own kind of greeting. After a few seconds, Cloud pushed off of the glittering wall he was leaning on and they began to walk side-by-side (but not too close), pausing once they reached the farthest edge of the Depths beyond. Riku sat down near the ledge, stretching his long, baggy jean-clad legs out before him, and Cloud followed suit, noticing with a faint frown how his own movements carried much less youthful grace.

_Happens when you get old. 'Cause you're so old now, you know, being twenty-six and all._

Usually they shared a bit of small talk, musing about shared friends and the changes taking place in the world they currently resided in (but not about the past; never the past), sometimes laughing a little at something the other said and earning a vague, almost fond grin in return.

But not this night.

Riku tilted his head to one side, regarding Cloud thoughtfully out of the corner of his eye.

"You're nervous," he concluded after several moments of silence, lifting a fine silver brow in mild curiosity.

"Riku...I..." The swordsman held his breath for a few seconds, then quickly mumbled, "You know I...I like you."

Riku hummed quietly. "That's good..."

_Yes, it is._

"Huh?"

"I like you, too," the teen clarified with an oblique little smile.

_Also good._

"But that's not why you're so off-balance, is it?"

_Heh, smart one. I think we'll keep him._

"Well..." The blond sighed. "It's just..."

"Just..."

"I...think I want to kiss you," Cloud finally admitted, the soft notes of his voice betrayed by a low, apprehensive lilt. He quickly turned his gaze away from Riku's and fixed his attention on the waning moon, trying to ignore the little skips his heart insisted on making each time their eyes met.

The younger man canted his head, pursing his lips ever-so-slightly before also looking back to the sky. Silver strands of hair brushed smoothly against his cheek as he shifted his own gaze from the moon to a very familiar constellation. "What's stopping you?"

"I..."

_'I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what I feel, because what I feel for you isn't fair to the one I felt it for first.'_

_'I'm afraid that letting you in any further will give fate a reason to tear me apart again.'_

_'I'm afraid that being with me will make you more susceptible to the darkness we both carry so deep inside.'_

_'I'm afraid that you won't like who I really am because I'm _exceedingly_ insecure and—'_

"I'm...afraid."

_Good boy._

The barest of smiles graced Riku's lips, and he closed his eyes against the dry evening breeze, dropping back to brace himself on his elbows and drawing one knee up slightly. To Cloud, he looked for all the world like the carefree teenager he wished he'd had the chance to be.

"You can't break me, Cloud," he said softly after a moment, moving his weight to one arm to face the older swordsman. "You can't bring me somewhere I haven't already been..." He paused for a moment at the answering silence, catching and calmly holding the blond's gaze. "I'm not afraid."

_Well...that makes one of you. It's a good start._

* * *

It had been exactly one year since their first kiss.

One year since Cloud had made his confession.

One year since Riku had made the first move.

Cloud now found he had to look up (but just slightly) to look the younger man in the eyes. He sighed ruefully to himself, and a little smile crossed his mouth at Riku's questioning expression. He shook his head and tucked a hand beneath thick silver hair to settle on the nape of Riku's slender neck, gazing affectionately into vibrant aquamarine eyes for a long moment before pulling him in for a soft, sweet kiss.

"Happy anniversary, Riku."

_Happy anniversary, Spike..._


End file.
